The Art of not Giving Up

Hello there. Molweni. Molweni 😊!

Happy New Week!

Last week, I reflected on the journey of the past two years; how my family and I navigated life in a new city while I simultaneously adapted to a new job, environment, and industry. I also shared how this move has benefitted us. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I’m not a fan of creating the illusion that things are “just easy.” I value sharing the process because I never want to present a highlight reel without talking about the realities, and the possibilities, behind it.

In last week’s post, I highlighted that the past two years have not been easy (not by any measure) but they have been worth it and deeply fulfilling. The journey from hardship to the stable, peaceful state I find myself in today required persistence and dedication. I navigated it by putting in the hours and refusing to give up. There were definitely moments when I wanted to quit but I’m grateful that I didn’t.

This is why today, I want to encourage you: don’t give up before you’ve put in 10,000 hours. Whatever you are pursuing, I urge you to see it through, even when the journey feels long and the results slow to appear.

The idea of putting in 10,000 hours to achieve mastery comes from one of my favourite books, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I even wrote a review last year, which you’re welcome to check out for deeper insights. Simply put, the concept suggests that anyone who wants to master a skill or field needs to spend at least 10,000 hours practicing it.

I would even extend this idea: to see impactful results, you need to commit at least 10,000 hours to your craft. That means before you consider giving up, evaluate whether you’ve truly invested this time. Of course, moments of discouragement and the urge to quit are completely normal; they’re valid feelings. But before throwing in the towel, ask yourself: Have I truly put in the work?

These 10,000 hours are not just clocked time, they are productive, focused hours. And yes, it may take a while. In our age of instant results and social media highlight reels, it’s easy to become impatient or discouraged. Often, we stumble not because the work is impossible but because we’re eager to announce progress before actually putting in the hard, less glamorous work.

This is why embracing seasons is so important. There will be seasons where all you do is show up and put in the work. There will be seasons where the fruits of your labour start to appear. And sometimes, there’s a season in between, where it feels like nothing is happening at all. That in-between season is part of the process, it’s a reminder to stay patient and, most importantly, not to give up.

Career pivots, building something new, or pursuing any meaningful goal requires us to respect the quiet seasons and push through uncomfortable feelings. Last week, I was listening to the Wisdom and Wellness podcast, and one point really resonated with me: the importance of exhausting every resource available before giving up. The hosts emphasized asking yourself: Have I really tried everything I can? Have I truly exhausted every resource at my disposal?

This question is so important. Often, we derail ourselves because we expect the journey to be easy. We assume things should fall into place effortlessly. Here’s a hard truth I’ve learned over the past two years: Even answered prayers often have difficult journeys.

I get it. Sometimes we expect the path after the prayer to be smooth because we’ve been waiting for the answer. The reality? Both the journey to the answer and the journey after can be challenging. This is not everyone's reality which I love but it's important to know that sometimes there may be seasons of difficulty even in your answered prayer. It’s in these moments, the seasons of discomfort and uncertainty, that resilience becomes everything. You need to push through. You need to keep showing up. You need to trust the process, even when it feels slow or hard.

There’s something else I came across this past week (perhaps from the same podcast) and I want to leave you with the hosts’ words: “Put in the work. Put in your 10,000 hours so that it becomes unreasonable for you not to succeed.” Before giving up, truly commit to the hours, the effort, and the practice. Put in so much dedication that success becomes inevitable. Position yourself in a way that makes it impossible to fail.

At the end of the day, the art of not giving up is about showing up consistently, even when it’s hard, even when progress feels invisible, and even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. It’s about respecting the quiet seasons, putting in the hours, and exhausting every resource you have before deciding to step back or give up. Mastery, growth, and meaningful results don’t happen overnight; they are earned through persistence, patience, and resilience. So whatever you are working on, whatever dream or goal you are pursuing, commit to the journey. Embrace the process, honour your efforts, and remember: your breakthrough may be closer than you think. Keep going, you are capable of more than you realize.

Have an intentional and blessed week.

Lots of love,

Zizo